Heavy rains have made the Arkansas River potentially dangerous for personal watercraft.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has warned recreational and commercial activities on the water could be potentially dangerous because of waters flowing at record volumes.

“The Army Corps of Engineers has issued a small craft advisory for the Arkansas River in Arkansas,” a press release stated. “Recent heavy rains have caused river and lake flows to rise. During the high flows, strong currents and large debris can threaten the safety of pleasure crafts.”

Flows at Trimble Lock and Dam at Fort Smith were about 100,000 cubic-feet-per-second (cfs) at the beginning of June. Flows at Dardanelle Lock and Dam at Russellville were 85,000 (cfs), and climbing.

“Right now, we are still in a high flow stage,” Corps Parks manager Scott Fryer said Thursday. “The river and pooling areas such as local lakes are flowing at 70,000 cfs.

“This is due to the heavy rain amounts we’ve experienced over the last few weeks in Oklahoma and Arkansas. This makes traversing lakes and the Arkansas River extremely dangerous.”

Although lakes may appear placid and safe, water below the surface is moving at a substantial rate. This condition fluctuates depending on falling precipitation from Tulsa to Little Rock, all the way to the Mississippi River.

“Folks who decide to navigate personal water craft on area lakes must remember to wear their PFDs,” Fryer said. “The surface of the water at area lakes like Dardanelle can, at first glance, be deceptive.”

“Though the water looks tranquil, it’s still moving and can prove dangerous. It’s a hazardous situation.”

The Corps does not have a way to release the accumulated flow. The best it can do is manage the water flow.

“We don’t have a flood control pool on the Arkansas River,” Fryer said. “We can manage it but, there are no storage facilities or pooling options.

“Mariners need to have PFDs and be careful everywhere on the river and pooled lakes that are part of this waterway system.”